We had a stream of drummers coming through. After about three of these guys, we ended up with almost a full kit of drums from the bits that they'd left behind, so Paul decided he'd be the drummer. He was quite good at it. At least he seemed OK; probably we were all pretty crap at that point. It only lasted for one gig, but I remember it very well. It was in Upper Parliament Street where a guy called Lord Woodbine owned a strip club. It was in the afternoon, with a few perverts - five or so men in overcoats - and a local stripper. We were brought on as the band to accompany the stripper; Paul on drums, John and me on guitar and Stu on bass.

He says it was AFTER Tommy Moore and Norman Chapman had left. So I'd say somewhere from half July.

Williams asked them to play on Monday nights when the normal house band, The Royal Caribbean Steel Band, had a night off. The Silver Beetles were paid with beans on toast and Coca-Cola.

YESSS... Good!!

People envolved at those gigs are not longer alive (=John, George, Stu, Tommy Moore, Norman Chapman, Lord Woodbine...). Only Sir Paul, Allan Williams (=both very difficult to reach at..., at least for me...) and... Janice the stripper?? Has she surfaced along the years?? Do we know anything about her??

Several sources put the performances with Janice the Stripper BEFORE their gigs with Norman Chapman. According to Allan Williams, they backed Janice for a week in early July with Paul on drums. No need for a new guitar I suppose.

Several sources put the performances with Janice the Stripper BEFORE their gigs with Norman Chapman. According to Allan Williams, they backed Janice for a week in early July with Paul on drums. No need for a new guitar I suppose...

Correct...

And Paul said that they wore lilac jackets doubtlessly the same ones they wore at the Indra but NOT at Johnny Gentle tour. Surviving photos demonstrates that at Johnny Gentle tour they used the same wear that at Wyvern Club audition...

* Allan Williams names this girl Shirley. Why some sources name her Janice??

** According to George Harrison in Anthology book "...We had a stream of drummers coming through. After about three of these guys, we ended up with almost a full kit of drums from the bits that they'd left behind, so Paul decided he'd be the drummer. He was quite good at it. At least he seemed OK; probably we were all pretty crap at that point. It only lasted for one gig, but I remember it very well. It was in Upper Parliament Street where a guy called Lord Woodbine owned a strip club. It was in the afternoon, with a few perverts - five or so men in overcoats - and a local stripper. We were brought on as the band to accompany the stripper; Paul on drums, John and me on guitar and Stu on bass...."

*** Stu's visa is dated 13 August, and one of Paul's payment coupons for the Solid 7 is also dated 13 August...

"...Norman played with the Beatles for about three months, appearing with them several times in the basement of the Jac......Poor old Norman was another guy who missed latching on to a million quid by a quirk of fate. His stint with the Beatles enden when he was called up to do his compulsory two years National Service with the First Battalion, King's Regiment......'Yeah,' he said, referring to the Beatles, 'those guys really loved the game...Everything they did and said was directed at making their sound better and better day by day. I remember Paul as the dominant figure, not John, oddly enough -although everyone nominates John as the leader.Maybe it was my interpretation of it. One night when we were playing at the Grosvenor Ballroom over in Wallasey a fight broke out...What a scene. We kept playing the music all the way through. John was hiding behind the curtain and laughing his head off and Paul was somehow crouched under the piano. The music never stoped. What a night'..."

So, Paul was the dominant figure, Norman Chapman really played with them at Grosvenor Ballroom and he played with them for..., three months??

This is like researching the history of Jesus into the New Testament: one has to sparate the historical facts from the faithful ones...

The Allan Williams book is not really known for its reliability. Paul McCartney said to Williams: "Congratulations on the book Allan. Some things in it are actually true." So, I would not rely too much on Williams' version.

Bear in mind that I really do appreciate your research and sharing it here with us. These pre-fame years are of course much harder to research than the years from 1963 onwards.

...Bear in mind that I really do appreciate your research and sharing it here with us. These pre-fame years are of course much harder to research than the years from 1963 onwards.

Thank you very much Bobber!!

I'm always trying to do my best...

BTW: the Spanish version of my article about Paul McCartney's Solid 7 guitar is already published at the Spanish magazine Beatles Garden. I will upload it here as soon as I get it. The English (=and much longer) version is on press at the Dutch magazine Beatles Unlimited...

People envolved at those gigs are not longer alive (=John, George, Stu, Tommy Moore, Norman Chapman, Lord Woodbine...). Only Sir Paul, Allan Williams (=both very difficult to reach at..., at least for me...) and... Janice the stripper?? Has she surfaced along the years?? Do we know anything about her??

Xosé

I love how taken Janice/Shirley was with George! From Allan Williams' book (excerpted)

"Who is that nice boy with the boney face?" she said on the first night.

"That," I said, "is George. George Harrison. He's a nice boy and he is much too young for you, Shirley. Don't go leading him astray."

"They're never too young," she said, eyeing George, who was trying to hide behind his orange juice.

It would be interesting to know whether she was still alive. I wonder if anyone ever interviewed her?

This is my first time trying to quote (Xose's remarks). Hoping I did it correctly.